The Rescue
by fmoura98
Summary: A witch finds herself trapped in Middle Earth and someone has to go get her back. Obviously, things don't go exactly as planned. Small fic, canon pairings.
1. Arrival

_This was meant to be a small oneshot but it turned into a 6 or 7 chapter thing. It was also supposed to be about Harry and it became more about Hermione instead. Plot bunnies, man..._

_Anyway, hope you guys enjoy it. 3_

_F._

A wave of an unknown power travelled through the peaceful forest, silencing all the little creatures it met in its path. A woman's scream suddenly pierced the expectant silence, followed by a few pained cries and the sound of breaking branches. To her it seemed as if the soft thud that announced the landing had echoed loudly throughout the whole area but she quickly realized it was all in her head. The woman rose to her feet with visible effort, her stance battle-ready even though the woman herself was anything but. One of her legs was broken and she could put no weigh on it. There were cuts and bruises on her face and arms. She had no wand. And she had no clothes.

_What the…?_

The bushy-haired woman looked down in horror and then away from the forest she was facing. There was a gentle river behind her and it just might be her imagination but she could swear the waters were looking increasingly less peaceful by the minute. She spotted her tunic in the distance and limped painfully towards it, picked it up and quickly threw it over her head and shoulders. It didn't really cover as much as the woman had hoped but she did feel less exposed. She also found a shoelace, still neatly tied despite the obvious absence of a shoe around it, as well as one of her socks. She frowned at the shoelace for only a moment before pocketing it into her tunic's tiny pocket.

She shook her head, desperately trying to collect her thoughts. The increasing pain joined her senses to plainly point out to she wasn't dreaming and judging by the ancient-looking trees, she could further deduce she was no longer in England. While others might suddenly panic at the idea of becoming unwilling guests in a distant country, this didn't surprise her as much as it would most people faced with a similar situation. Because the woman was a witch. And she knew something had gone very wrong with her portkey.

_At least, it doesn't look like I've been followed. And I've shaved my legs. It's the little things, _she tried to cheer herself up silently.

Hermione Granger had been through enough to know she was a survivor. Her first instinct was to look for a place to hide until she could come up with a plan and she turned to the woods where there were more chances of finding cover. Before she had a chance to do anything, however, a tall blond man in strange attire broke the line of trees in the exact spot where she'd landed just a few moments before.

For exactly three seconds, they both froze and stared at each other. Even from the distance she could tell there was something odd and unnatural about the man, enticing and forbidding at the same time. With impossible grace the man then started walking slowly towards her and she noticed the unusual shape of his ears. Hermione then saw the bow he carried behind his back and she ran into the trees without hesitation. Almost immediately, there was movement all around her and in a moment of panic at the thought of being surrounded, she dropped to the ground and slid under the roots of a massive tree, leg throbbing so painfully Hermione hoped someone would just cut it off and be done with it.

_I shouldn't have ran. That was stupid. Bad idea._

They knew where she was. She could hear their voices just outside, first two, then three, male but strangely musical. She was trapped in a dark wooden den, barely clothed, with little space and no other way out. One of the voices rose suddenly above the others and Hermione suspected he was addressing her and telling her to come out from under the roots. The witch tried to think of any magical creature that could fit their description but her mind drew a convenient blank when she remembered that there were no known male Veela. The bushy-haired witch had the sinking feeling she'd been purposefully sent to a hostile place to die.

_Shit._

"I don't think so." She said defensively, her voice trembling more than she'd expected. There was a small silence after her words and then the three men spoke amongst themselves, calmly at first but then quickly growing agitated. A different man than the one who'd spoken before, said something into the dark hole in a rash and commanding tone but it was only when she saw the tip of an arrow peeking in and crossing the threshold that the witch did truly and properly panic. Hermione lifted one hand and cried out and at once the air was displaced in front of it with a surprisingly loud sound. The arrow and the one carrying the bow were abruptly thrown back with the massive force of the accidental magic and Hermione winced as she saw the graceful man-creature hit the tree directly in front of her with a loud thud.

_Double shit._

She dropped instantly and turned into a ball, making herself as small as possible. A deadly silence had now fallen over the forest as if the trees, animals and even the breeze had suddenly frozen at the second burst of unfamiliar energy. Hermione was certain she'd done it this time. Running, hiding and refusing to come out was one thing but attacking one of them – with magic! – was a very different one. She couldn't stop her lip from trembling as she drew in ragged breaths. Like some karmic punishment for the time she'd set Umbridge against a herd of angry centaurs, Hermione was certain they were going to kill her now, sticking so many arrows into her that she would soon be making a pretty good porcupine impression.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." She whispered into her knees, her whole body shaking violently now.

After a long moment of silence, a soothing voice finally reached her ears. Hermione barely registered it at first but it wasn't long until she realized it was coming from one of the men above. She resisted the urge to remain with her face hidden and instead lifted her head slowly to look at the entrance of the root den. A pale hand was there, beckoning her to take it as the voice persisted in its gentle calling like a song she'd once loved and forgotten but was glad to hear once more. She took the hand and almost regretted it but she wasn't held or pulled roughly. Not until she'd properly grasped the hand by her own initiative did the immaculate hand slowly pull her out. She had to admire his patience.

Hermione felt the warm earth and leaves against her feet as she stood facing the three men. She let go of his hand quickly and tried pulling her tunic down, looking almost as uncomfortable as she felt. Even in the most beautiful of gowns the witch suspected she would still feel wholly inadequate in front of the armed and impossibly good-looking men with pointy ears. Two of them had long curtains of dark hair, vivid grey eyes and looked almost completely alike apart from their expression. The one who'd pulled her up was the blond man she'd seen before and he said something over his shoulder to the closest twin who looked remarkably well and proper for someone who had just been thrown against a tree.

_Eerie, not a hair out of place,_ she thought briefly.

The victim of the accidental magic removed his elegant cloak without a word and moved towards her with the grace of a stalking panther. Hermione managed to remain on the spot despite the sudden urge to back away but she shrunk under his gaze and something in her expression must've been truly pitiful because even though he'd definitely looked mildly annoyed just a moment before, the man's clear gaze softened as he handed her his cloak. He even gave her a brief nod before backing away. His twin had lowered his bow after getting one look at the witch but he kept it close to his body and Hermione had no doubt that he was ready to use it if necessary.

It only occurred to her after she'd enveloped herself in the beautiful shimmering grey cloak that while the man showed absolutely no signs of injury, the same couldn't be said from the trunk of the poor old tree behind him. They were definitely not human. Again, that knowledge didn't bother Hermione as much as it might others but she did worry about not being able to recognize their species.

"Thank you." She hesitated after taking the cloak and she could see them looking at each other questioningly, most likely trying to determine her unfamiliar dialect. Perhaps they were in a secluded location that few wizards ever visited. The witch committed that clue to memory and then tried to calm herself down enough to show her gratefulness by at least making sure she wouldn't accidentally throw someone against a tree again. She was doing a fairly good job for now which was probably due to the fact that they kept their voices low and gentle even when addressing one another and the fact that she hadn't caught any of the three males stare at her legs before or after she'd taken the cloak was enough to lower her heartbeat. They didn't feel threatening, not towards her at least. She felt more confident. She might've even looked curious.

Hermione couldn't help it. Slowly, she raised one hand and pointed at her ear and then at the blond who had pulled her up and who out of the three intimidated her the least. His expression was difficult to read but he mirrored her movement and grinned as he said a few words in his musical language. Hermione didn't understand a word but she had a feeling she'd somehow amused him and felt her cheeks turn pink.

A few moments later and without any dialogue that she'd noticed, the three men turned to leave and beckoned her to follow. She'd taken only one terribly painful step when the quieter twin cried out in alarm, pointing at her leg and then at the sky, giving her the impression that he was telling the others about her impressive fall.

_Merlin, did he see me fall? Did he see me… naked?_

His brother and the blond one looked doubtful which caused the God-like man to look annoyed and sound so insistent that the witch took pity on him.

"Phiiiish… crashhh!" she said, pointing at the sky first and simulating her earlier descent with wide gestures. The Adonis with the black hair beamed at her so brightly that the witch felt her cheeks burn. They all shared a few words and a knowing look before grinning at her. Leaning back, Hermione was filled with a sudden feeling of dread as she realized the three men now seemed aware of the effect that their smiles had on her. They all seemed a strange mix of curious and amused when they looked at her but she found them terribly hard to read.

The blond she trusted the most offered her his arm for support. Hermione took it but their progress was painfully slow even with his help. The owner of the coat disappeared not soon after into the woods and she suspected he'd long grown bored by the dawdling pace. And then, at last, her support seemed to grow tired as well and with only an annoyed huff as warning, he picked her up like a princess and promptly proceeded to carry her through the forest. So much for being patient. Hermione was stunned for only a second until she remembered that only Ron had ever picked her up in such a way.

"Put me down, put me down this instant!" She screamed angrily as they both laughed at her which only served to make her angrier, louder and terribly aware that she was being carried away by a group of strange men to an unknown location in a half-clothed state. She even tried hitting him a few times but the man's chest was as hard as steel.

"You can't just pick up people like that. Let me go. Can't you see the engagement ring? I'm…" Her expression shifted from one of fierce anger to painful shock when she realized that the beautiful golden ring that Ron had given her was missing from her finger. The laugher ended quickly and the blond man dropped her quickly but gently on the ground, apparently aware that he'd crossed some kind of line he didn't understand. He backed away a couple of steps and she gave him a brief glance before looking down at her hand again. She could feel one single tear sliding off her chin.

"You just don't do that without asking." she said lamely even though she understood that it made little sense in her present situation. Not feeling particularly proud of her outburst, the witch stubbornly refused to meet their eyes as she lifted one hand to clean her face.

The dark-haired man finally came closer and gave a long look she couldn't decipher before suddenly grinning like an idiot in a tooth paste commercial. Still leaning back, Hermione looked momentarily dazed and felt her whole face going red as the man laughed, successful in his attempt at getting the desired reaction. Well, it was a form of communication, she had to admit. Hermione hated the fact she couldn't control herself when they did that.

_Merlin, they should just shoot me on principle. _

It took her completely by surprise when the cheeky man looked away and whistled for no apparent reason. She was finishing along a long, fact-filled argument in her mind regarding his sanity when the most beautiful horse she'd ever seen suddenly joined them. Hermione patted the pale golden horse softly on the neck and scratched the majestic animal's white forehead and muzzle with tender hands.

It took her a long time to realize that the horse had been called for her but the strange Veela men didn't seem keen on interrupting her silent display of affection. If not for the burning pain on her leg, Hermione would probably have kept combing the long blonde mane for hours, reminiscing about the time she'd petted a unicorn during class. Oh, Hogwarts.

The blond elf eventually picked her up and sat her amazon-style on the horse's back and Hermione didn't fuss, pointedly meeting his pale blue eyes in silence. His movement were almost hesitant at first but he seemed determined to dispel the earlier tension between them and she was just as equally determined to prove she didn't usually act like a brat when surprised.

They moved in silence for a while and Hermione felt unexpectedly peaceful. She breathed out deeply, releasing the tension from her chest and muscles. The air felt alive and welcoming, as if invisible wards were pulling her closer to their destination. She was fascinated by the intricate designs on the wooden bows and short shorts the strange men carried. They weren't just magical, they were obviously intelligent and skilled. Even the horse seemed at the very least to have been the object of something like a cushioning spell because the witch very much doubted she'd be able to ride a normal horse without a saddle for this long. Even the trees felt alive and aware. Guiltily, Hermione lifted one hand to gently touch a thin branch, making a silent apology to the forest for the earlier mishap. She suddenly realized the two men were watching her keenly.

"Hermione." She said when the horse stopped moving without any action from her part, pointing at herself before turning her hand to the blond man.

"Glorfindel." He replied with a beautiful smile, mirroring her gesture. _Yeah, alright_, she thought to herself with as much cheek as she believed an engaged woman was allowed to have,_ You're still my favorite._


	2. Elrond

_Glorfindel and Elrond's sons are in the books but not the movies. Check a wiki for more information on them if you can, their stories are quite interesting. The story of Elrond's wife explains a lot about the way Hermione was so easily accepted. _

_Usual disclaimers apply. The worlds and characters don't belong to me._

_F._

She was falling again. Screaming. The cold air almost pierced her skin before she took a few hits, leaving a trail of bent and broken branches as she painfully made her way to the ground. She saw the leafy earth approaching and was filled with fear. She jumped in her bed.

Panting, Hermione fought against the soft sheets, eyes shifting wildly until she remembered the events of the previous days. She'd had the same reoccurring nightmare since her arrival at the unfamiliar lands and the witch had quickly learned to cope with them. She left the comfortable warm bed and stepped closer to the window, bathed herself in the soft moonlight for a few moments before climbing to the windowsill. She sat there, arms wrapped protectively around her legs. Her face leaned softly against her knees and it wasn't long until the elven singing had lulled her into a dreamless sleep. She refused to look at the night sky.

It had only been five days since she'd arrived at Imladris – Rivendel, some called it – and already she felt an attachment to the place and its people, finding it increasingly hard to remember things from her true home.

Her first meeting with Elrond had been as strange as everything and everyone else she'd seen so far. The beautiful but stern-looking man had clearly been waiting for her arrival for some time, no doubt warned by one of the others, but had only given her a piercing look for a few seconds before sending her away without the interrogation she'd expected. He'd stayed as she dismounted on her own, watching her polite refusal of Glorfindel's helping hand and the wince that escaped her when her body absorbed the impact, then exchanged a few words with the blond man. Hermione heard her name twice before being led through a beautiful arch. Everyone seemed to bow to Elrond so she did as well, albeit with less confidence.

She felt like a little girl again, visiting Diagon Alley for the first time. The wooden buildings were even more beautiful up close and Hermione tried to take it all in, looking in every direction with childish wonder, touching the columns and smelling the air.

_Wow_, she thought.

"Wow." She said. Glorfindel laughed at her when he caught up with the witch but she didn't care.

Elrond healed her first in a room full of light that Glorfindel led her to. While happy that her broken leg was fixed in a matter of minutes, Hermione could tell Elrond hadn't expected it to work so fast. Judging by the curious look he'd given her, the witch could tell that somehow her innate magic had affected the healing process in a way he'd failed to predict. Obviously, he had no idea what she was and Hermione had to wonder just how removed this society was when they didn't even recognize a witch when one literally fell on them.

Calmly and very much non-threateningly, Elrond sat at the end of her bed and spoke a few words to her. Hermione tried to look confused but she wasn't sure how well he could read her. Elrond spoke again this time in a distinctive different language. Hermione shook her head but smiled, knowing what he was trying to do. It didn't take long until Elrond had exhausted his options and once again he was giving her a long searching look as if he found her to be a particularly difficult enigma.

Hermione knew it was silly but that made her feel stupid. As if she'd failed a test (gasp!) and disappointed her mentor. So she turned the tables on him and tried the exact same thing.

"My name is Hermione and I'm a wizard." Elrond blinked but showed no recognition.

"Je m'apelle Hermione et je suis une sorcière…" Elrond shook his head but was smiling now as well.

"Mein Name…" No reaction.

"Holla? Konichiua?" Nothing.

Hermione threw a few random foreign words around as a final desperate attempt and Elrond always shook his head but at least she didn't feel quite so stupid anymore nor did she think the dark-haired man believed her to be uneducated. She knew some languages, too… just not the same ones he did, apparently. And so the gentle questioning ended.

Elrond had soon been replaced by two women, just as beautiful as the men she'd already seen. Both had long dark perfectly combed hair, gentle hands and easy laughs. Hermione loved them at once.

She almost mistook them for Veela but quickly realized they had the same effect on her as the "males" so she grew more and more confused. Perhaps they were human… just magically enhanced somehow. Maybe under a strong spell. Hermione realized they were a mutual enigma.

They helped her bathe despite her weak protests, dressed her and then patiently tamed her hair. As in, they complained exasperatedly less than a dozen times throughout the whole process. Hermione blushed, dying to know their exact words and wishing more than ever to have a wand to help with the translation.

The two pointy-eared women took her to the kitchens next. The men and women there seemed friendly and not too busy to stop and examine her from head to toe. She didn't mind. Hermione hadn't felt this good since the Triwizard's Ball. She politely refused the food they offered but gladly took a cup of sweet juice before being led to another location again. All around her there was singing and laughing in halls and rooms filled with all sorts of beauty. They reached a study and Hermione's eyes almost popped out. She whirled around with an open smile, dazzled by the ancient books and scrolls. Elrond had to clear his throat in order to get her attention. He showed her a map and Hermione examined it with a deep frown, failing to recognize the geography and written language. She pointed to the quill, noting briefly how they seemed to use similar instruments as wizards and Elrond passed it to her as well as a big square of parchment with the same curious expression he'd wore in the infirmary. Hermione quickly drew a map of Earth, paying special attention to the details in the United Kingdom. She then drew an arrow and wrote England at its end with her best possible calligraphy. Elrond's eyebrows shot up when she started writing but soon he was frowning, looking more puzzled than ever and Hermione felt a small feeling of dread grow from the depths of her core.

It had been one of best days of her life. Certainly the best she'd had in years and considering how it had started, that was saying something. Curious pointy-eared men and women pulled her in every direction and showed her the most beautiful sights inside and outside the beautiful wooden buildings. They sang and danced all around her, making her giggle and laugh like she hadn't in years. They'd offered her a room, placing her meager belongings there (her tunic and the shoelace as the sock had been dropped in the forest). Words could not express her gratitude so it mattered little that they couldn't speak to each other yet but she did hope her gestures and emotional expression conveyed her feelings. Elladan and Elrohir, the twins she'd met before, would occasionally pop up and beam at her, laughing like idiots every time she blushed. They were worse than the Weasley twins, she thought to herself and pushed that idea quickly away before she had time to focus on the fact that only one twin had survived the war.

They had lunch in a great hall and while she'd felt quite shy at first with all eyes on her and Elrond at the table, she quickly became the main attraction when she started repeating the names she already knew, a few new ones and then entire phrases that they seemed to be daring her say, looking delighted every time she completed a challenge. There was a little incident when she clumsily hit a glass of red berry juice and almost spilled the entire content. Whether it was the fear of looking clumsy and stupid or fear of ruining the elaborate table of her host, Hermione raised her hand and screamed, and the glass turned back to its previous position and all its contents travelled back into it without one drop hitting the table. She stared at her glass for second and then at her hand before finally daring to look up.

No one looked scared or angry. She heard the word 'Istari' being whispered a couple of times. Some did look surprised but most just seemed curious. Elrond was once again giving her that curious look as if someone has thrown him another particularly difficult riddle. Elladan laughed and clapped, making her shrink and turn a ridiculous shade of red that seemed to amuse her entire audience almost as much as the little taste of accidental magic.

During the afternoon, Glorfindel introduced her to his horse Asphaloth. She assumed the beautiful white steed belonged to him because it was always following him and his commands at first before deciding to favour Hermione for a while, even going as far as to allow her to ride him. There might've been an accidentally conjured apple involved in the shifting of loyalties. Glorfindel looked mildly annoyed which only made the experience all the more amusing. She climbed a tree like a child and took a short nap in a flower field. She was happy, full of wonder and excitement. No one seemed to fear her and in turn she felt no fear towards them. On the contrary, Hermione felt safe and even respected. And still, somehow, it still turned out to be of the worst days of her life.

It was after dinner and she was once again in Elrond's study. He'd showed her drawings of strange creatures. Amongst the large collection of what could only be described as monsters, the witch recognized a few that looked like odd trolls and a strange deformed elephant that didn't seem to be drawn to scale but little else. She assumed it to be some sort of fable book until she spotted a picture of what appeared to be a Wizard. It was, after all, the spitting image of Dumbledore. She pointed at the drawing and spoke excitedly of hats and magic and wands. Elrond had a look of understanding about him but remained silent in his musings.

It was only when he'd showed her the star maps that everything went wrong. She took a huge piece of parchment and unfolded it, recognizing it for what it was at once. Her mind drifted to the numerous nights she'd spent in the Astronomy tower and for the briefest of moments she was filled with warmth as the memories of Hogwarts assailed her. Then, just as suddenly, fear gripped her and she backed away slowly and ran outside. Many looked at her with concern, most likely surprised by her expression. Before she knew it, the mere sight of a night sky made her whole world come crashing down. There she saw not the stars of the Northern hemisphere nor the stars of the Southern hemisphere for that matter. Hermione was looking a rich and beautiful but completely unfamiliar sky. She was filled with dread and the impossible knowledge: this was not her world.

The witch fell to her knees, frozen in a crippling despair. Elrond followed her slowly and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder but he didn't look surprised. He'd been faster at piecing together the puzzle and was only trying to gently make her understand as well. It was all starting to make sense to her now.

"The stars are wrong, Elrond." She told him weakly, feeling as vulnerable and desperate as she'd once felt at Malfoy Manor. She thought of Ron, of Harry, of her parents - oh God, her parents! "They're all wrong."


	3. Rescue

_The scene that started it all in my mind. This is a small chapter. (Edit: or was, I decided to add the bit that would've been Savior, the next small chapter)_

_The usual disclaimers apply. _

_F._

Hermione turned her head at the sound of an unusual commotion, hands softly pushing her body away from the windowsill. The sudden onset of loud noises wasn't that unusual by itself at least not since the humans, dwarves and hobbits had invaded Rivendell but the beautiful forest was suddenly burning with activity and she'd been assured the war hadn't reached them yet. Hermione's eyes widened as she took note of the determined-looking elves that ran with unnatural speed and agility under her window and into the forest, quickly joined by the Man Aragorn who, the elven-clad woman realized with a shiver, was looking more worried than she'd ever seen him. Which was saying something. From what little she'd seen him, he always looked like the world was about to end.

Hermione froze, startled. She was certain that she'd seen a familiar burst of color out of the corner of her eye but it was gone by the time she'd turned. Something had changed, the air was suddenly charged. She felt the foreign magic she'd grown to know tighten around her, angry but curious, as if looking for something. And then she heard the unmistakable sound of someone apparatting in the distance.

The young witch was running outside before she even realized she'd left the room. She followed the Man Boromir, barely registering the two little Hobbits that ran next to her, doing her best to keep up with the running party. Aragorn and many of the elves had stopped in a clearing not too far ahead, the first gripping his sword tightly in front of his head and the former raising their bows, ready to fire. Glorfindel was by her side before she knew it, bow drawn and arrow ready. Fierce and unwavering, they all seemed to be looking at a point straight ahead as if expecting something to happen but despite the warning Hermione was still shocked into a stunned silence like the rest of them as she saw a silvery glow moving closer to their location. As a ghostly silver stag erupted from the foliage, Hermione held her breath as tears formed silently in her eyes, raising one hand slightly as the stag almost ran into her only to stop abruptly right at her feet to the surprise of many.

"Hermione. I'm coming." The eerie disembodied voice caused the widening of many eyes. She recognized it at once. Harry's voice.

_Of course._

Of course, they'd find a way to reach her. She heard the familiar sound of an apparition again, briefly wondering why the elves had refrained from releasing their arrows against the beautiful patronus.

And then she saw him.

Clearly he'd been following the stag, cleverly using it as a way to find her location the warded place. The black cloaked figure almost flew into the clearing, dark robes billowing behind him, shield charm actively protecting him from the elf horde that tried to stall his progression. Silent spells were cast almost effortlessly as the wizard kept running and Hermione was reminded of just how frightening Harry Potter could be when he was fighting for something that was close to his heart. None of the elves were actually hit by the jets of light that were being thrown in every direction but Hermione could tell they weren't meant to find a target until Harry had properly deemed them as enemies. She could imagine how scary he must look in the eyes of the elves, men, dwarves and hobbits present. He looked a little scary even to her right about now, like a Deatheater from her worse nightmares following a target to the end of the world and beyond.

And then he saw her.

The cloaked figure stopped in the middle of the clearing, his shield blocking one last arrow before all the elves froze at the same time. She could taste the tension in the air. And then Harry's hand pulled his hood down slowly, revealing the human form of a clean-shaven young man with unruly hair and scar on his forehead. The tension in the clearing eased considerably and Hermione's finally saw those striking green eyes meet hers with such intensity that she could barely keep her treacherous tears from spilling out. As if suddenly weighing more, the wizard's wand dropped until it was pointing at the ground and his shield charm dissipated in a second as if the gentle breeze had blown it away.

"Hermione." He breathed out with so much emotion in his voice she almost ran to him in that second. As a pained but relieved expression replaced the fierce almost murderous one he'd brought to the clearing, he didn't give her time to react. She could tell he understood much after one brief glance at her beautiful clothes and immaculate hair and for a moment Hermione was suddenly glad that it wasn't Ron that had reached her first because she very much doubted he'd be standing so tall and confident in a clearing full of strange armed creatures who had dressed his missing friend as one of her own. Harry didn't even bother walking but instead apparated to the spot where his patronus had once stood and in the same instant his arms were around her, pulling her into a fierce hug and burying his face in her neck, without the slightest hint of concern regarding the audience's reaction.

"Harry." Hermione whispered softly though it almost sounded like she's shouted over the abrupt silence, holding him just as tightly. Aragorn, the hobbits and some of the Elves clearly recognized the name and the tension dissipated even further. Some even lowered their bows but she could feel Harry's head rising again, looking around and slowly fixating on certain faces.

"Harry James Potter, you better not be glaring at the people who have taken care of me all this time." He had the decency to look sheepish as he pulled away from the hug and that was confirmation enough that he'd been doing just that.

"Seriously Hermione, what's with the freaky Malfoy Veela?" he grinned playfully, finally acknowledging the fact they weren't alone in their reunion and Hermione felt like hitting him with how unconcerned he looked amidst the small army.

They looked at each other for a long time, testing the patience of those around them without even realizing it. They were completely lost in the moment.

"You have a new scar." Hermione traced the nasty line with visible concern. Harry didn't say a word, just stared at her like he still didn't believe he'd found her. He looked older which didn't make much sense. "How did Ron handle these last few months?"

Harry stilled, finally looking serious as he spoke.

"Hermione, you've been gone for almost three years now." Harry stepped back and allowed her to take the information in, no doubt concerned by the look of shock in her face.

"Who's the guy in charge here?" the wizard asked quietly and Hermione answered him first before turning to the elf in question and exchanging a few quick words with Glorfindel as he moved closer.

Harry turned to the Elf with a small apologetic smile, raising his hands slightly in what he hoped was a universal sign of truce. He did not, however, let go of his wand. He was asking for a ceasefire, not surrendering. Glorfindel, like many of the Elves who had failed to stop the intruder from almost reaching the heart of Rivendel, still looked somewhat upset as he spoke.

"Uhm, Harry… Glorfindel asked if you could surrender your wand so that you could meet Elrond, their leader… I tried explaining that you probably wouldn't but…" her voice trailed off.

"Of course, 'Mione. Tell him he can have my wand when he pries it from my cold, long-dead corpse." Harry replied sweetly, without hesitation and Glorfindel actually looked pleased by the apparent acceptance of his request.

Hermione frowned and huffed, placing her hands on her hips.

"Harry, these people are strong and they are quick to offend. They're immortal, Harry. That's a lot of time to hold a grudge. Please, try to be respectful. They've been nothing but kind to me."

Harry seemed to sober up in an instant. He faced Glorfindel again and asked Hermione about the polite form of greeting before offering the elf a bow.

"Alright, then tell him that I will never voluntarily give up the tool that I use to heal and defend myself especially when I'm surrounded by strangers in a world that is even stranger to me. I mean no disrespect but I have no need to go meet his boss. I can leave at any time. My one and only purpose was to find you."

"Oh, Harry. Don't say that. I do want you to meet Elrond. And everyone else. There are so many fascinating beings here, people and animals like no one in our world has seen before."

Harry didn't say anything for a very long time. The Elves were patient with his silence, the Men not so much but the wizard seemed to be struggling with something.

"Hermione… I don't know how time works around here so... And it's not like I actually need the wand for the basic offensive and defensive spells…" he said softly at last, speaking more to himself than his friend and not making much sense to Hermione. "You know I'm never truly defenceless... giving him the wand would just be a lie. I'm sorry but the wand is out of the question. The best I can do is holster it."

Thankfully, Glorfindel seemed to find that an acceptable compromise and he gave the wizard a small bow and asked him to follow him. Harry did, smiling gently at his friend as he allowed himself to be led.

"Damn Hermione, you look really good." She smiled but didn't blush. This was Harry, after all, just Harry. Her closest friend.

The council Elrond had been planning had to be delayed because of Harry's arrival. Hermione had learned enough Westron and Elvish to serve as a translator – harry complimented her many times, looking thoroughly unsurprised at finding his bookworm friend completely at ease in a strange new culture, speaking different languages as if she'd lived there all her life. In fact, he looked so relieved and giddy that she pretended not to notice just how much he was touching her whether it was to check the intricate pattern of her hair or placing a carefree arm around her shoulders. Like he was afraid she'd vanish right in front of his eyes. As if he was ready to grab her and make a run for it if necessary.

Harry was remarkably charming and respectful throughout the while day. He followed obediently after Glorfindel and bowed deeply when he met Elrond. Through her, he apologized for his brusque arrival, for anything he might've done to offend them and all the things that he would surely do in the future due to his ignorance of the world. He wanted to make sure they knew he meant no disrespect. When it came to showing his gratefulness about the way they'd treated her, however, Harry suddenly decided that there was no way she would be able to properly transmit the message.

"Blimey, Hermione. We're being a bit dense. Please tell him I'm asking for permission to use my wand but only on myself." Hermione translated his words with a curious expression and after Elrond's brief hesitation and consequent acceptance, Harry pulled his wand and tapped his head three times quickly, muttering something under his breath for a very long time.

"Do you understand me now?" There were murmurs of surprise as the Elves, Men, Dwarves and even a few Hobbits who'd managed to sneak into the hall suddenly understood the young wizard before them as if he was suddenly speaking their native languages. Harry smiled and asked for permission to do the same to Hermione before quickly holstering his wand again.

"What's the polite way to address your leader?" Harry asked quietly over his shoulder and Hermione was surprised to find Glorfindel right behind them, providing him with the answer without hesitation.

"You should address him as Lord Elrond." Harry looked startled and Hermione could guess that it had been a while since someone had asked him to call him Lord. Even though Harry recovered quickly, it would probably have been even faster if not for the blond elf's final words. "Harry James Potter."

"Lord Elrond." Harry started as if hearing his full name from the mouth of a stranger hadn't made him at least a little bit curious. "I have come from a distant place searching for my friend Hermione Granger who accidentally came here. We met as children. We've grown up together, fought a war together and she's saved my life more times that I can count. To me and my friends, it's been almost three years since we lost her. The amount of relief I felt when I saw that she was alive and well can only be surpassed by my gratitude towards you and your people. Even with a spell to translate, I find that I have no words to thank you for this. I can only say that to me and many others, Hermione is a piece of us we'd thought we'd lost. We are forever in your debt."

Hermione was speechless and she missed most of what was said after that as she desperately tried to keep her tears from falling. 


	4. Friends

_A lot more dialogue in this one. The usual disclaimers apply._

_F._

"I can't believe you're here." Hermione said with a soft smile.

Harry and Hermione were leaning against the balcony of the great hall. They'd been enjoying a comfortable silence for a while, glancing at each other from time to time as if to make sure the other was really there when Hermione finally spoke. Hermione knew Glorfindel was nearby and she didn't doubt Harry knew as well but he didn't seem to mind. Harry seemed willing to agree to all of Elrond's terms if allowed to keep his wand. Less discreet than the Elves who were surely eavesdropping, two Hobbits were also on the roof above them, trying to listen in.

"They seem fond you." Harry said. "How long have you known them?"

"I met them yesterday." Hermione laughed. "I'm going to call them down, I'm afraid they'll break their necks."

Harry didn't seem to mind but his strange calmness was starting to worry her. She wondered how much a person could change in three years, how much Ron had changed. Harry looked older, more collected. A little dangerous, too.

"You're stronger. I can feel it." She said slowly. "Translation spells? Harry, that's really advanced."

"It was a necessity. Ron learned it, too." Harry said cautiously.

"I'm surprised Ron isn't the one here." She tried not to sound worried but there were questions in her voice. Two Hobbits now sat on her side of the balcony, eyeing Harry eagerly.

"Ron… couldn't come." Harry gulped but showed little emotion. "The first time we tried to get here. Well, it didn't end well for him." It seemed as if Harry wasn't going to continue but then reconsidered. "He lost his wand arm." He allowed the words to sink in.

"Tell me what happened after I left." Hermione's eyes were wide with fear and worry but she tried not to sound alarmed.

Harry sighed and then looked ahead, breathing in the air of Rivendell as if gathering his courage.

"This place is so full of magic. I can feel it in my bones."

"Harry."

"It feels nice now. The wards were pretty unwelcoming when I first got here and the tracking spells just didn't work."

"Harry."

He smiled, waited a few more seconds and then spoke again.

"We tracked you to the building where you went missing. All that was left of you was your cloak, your wand and your engagement ring. Your belt buckle too for some reason. We didn't understand what had happened to you but no tracking spells seemed to be working. Everyone assumed you had taken a portkey to some distant place. We looked all over the world for you and everywhere was the same. After a while, everyone started saying you were dead. Skeeter wrote a lovely article saying you'd run away with a muggle because you had cold feet about marrying Ron. She said that's why you'd left the ring and wand behind."

"That vile woman." Hermione whispered and Harry just nodded.

"Ron never believed it, of course. He said the most gifted witch of our generation wouldn't leave the magic world and him without at least saying it to our faces. She said that you were a true Gryffindor. Your parents never believed it either."

"God, Harry. How are my parents?"

"They were devastated. Your dad was in a pretty bad car accident but he's fine now. Ron made sure of it. We promised them we'd find you and bring you back. After that disastrous first attempt, they almost lost hope but… well, they could see we'd never give up."

Harry stopped again with the same hesitation he'd shown before but he didn't need further prompting this time. Hermione almost laughed when the Hobbits whispered the word "car" with obvious confusion.

"One day, Ron said something about sending you a message. We'd tried sending you an owl before but just like the locating spells, it failed spectacularly. The poor creatures just flew in circles looking completely confused. But then I cast my patronus and tried to send it to you. It vanished into the ground. Do you see? That's not normal. I tried sending one to Sirius and the stag just stood there but if I tried to send you a message, it worked! We realized you were either too far or in a place so warded that nothing else worked. We realized that we could, provided with enough magic, reach you. So with that in mind and the help of a lot of people at the Ministry, we created a portkey linked to you. We used your wand and your parents' blood, it was really tricky business and the portkey didn't really glow properly but in theory it should've worked. We thought."

"What happened?" Hermione's voice was a faint whisper.

"Ron wanted to come first, make sure you were alright and then go back and get me so we could work things out together. But we didn't really think that it would be this far. It took so long to create that portkey, we figured it would find you anywhere on Earth. Ron activated the portkey and… only his right arm went through. He got splinched, there was blood everywhere and no one could figure out where the arm went. We thought… seriously, Hermione, we thought you'd ended up in a different planet."

"God, Harry! How's Ron?"

Harry surprised her by chuckling and then messing his own hair with a look of fondness.

"Making jokes that involve the word 'armed'. George helped him with that. He's doing good, Hermione. He had to adjust to using his left hand and got a new wand. It wasn't easy at first but he managed. He's still working at the shop but it was too dangerous to make this trip so I worked things out with Ginny and we decided I should come and get you."

"Ginny…" Hermione paused at the name, picturing a smiling red head and wondering briefly how much she'd changed over the years. "How _did_ you get here?" Harry chuckled at the intensity of her question.

"Well, we found a really old spell that showed us how far you were. The distance fluctuated which we didn't understand at first but decided to take advantage of a moment where you were somehow closer. So every day Ginny and her family would cast the spell a couple of times of day. We couldn't predict when you'd be closer so we just made sure to keep checking. And then we created another portkey but this time we used a gigantic amount of magic. We travelled for over a year, begging the strongest wizards in the world to pour all their magic into it. Some prisoners helped in return for a reduced sentence. Skeeter said I was trying to create a weapon to destroy the muggle world but I think almost every witch and wizard of age in England put their magic into the portkey. Many foreigners helped too so I guess some good did come of being the famous Harry Potter. I didn't expect to find people here who reacted to my name though…" she said the last few words somewhat accusingly though his smile was playful.

"I… uhm. The Elves like songs and stories. I told them a few. Mostly muggle fairy tales but some wizard stories, too. They seemed to like the one of the Peverell brothers. And I told them about three brave little children who gathered their friends and went on a quest to save the world from a dark lord. It's their favorite one for obvious reasons. I think they're composing an epic ballad about us. The Hobbits liked it, too."

Hermione was silent for a long time and Harry looked like he really needed a break.

"You know… I's amazing, Harry. Really, you two… you're brilliant." She was still coming to terms with the fact that her whole world had come together to bring her home. "You did it. It worked."

"It worked." Harry repeated, grinning. "I'm here. I'm sorry we took so long, Hermione."

"Oh Harry, it didn't feel like that long to me."

"But it was hell for us. Everything was on hold, all our lives, our work. But we found you 'Mione. That's all that matters." Now she could see Harry struggling with something.

"Just spit it out, Harry."

"It felt longer to us."

"You said that before."

"A lot can happen in three years. Hermione… I came to rescue you if you needed it but… do you want to go?" Before Hermione could argue, Harry grabbed her shoulders gently. "I'm your friend above everything else, Hermione. I'm not Ron. You look so happy, so relaxed. And this place is fascinating, I can tell. It's not as if we can just ask the world to keep giving us their magic reserves just so that we can visit. This is a one-time deal. When we go, we're gone. We most likely won't come back. You'll never see any of these people again. Time is running out on our portkey. I had to shield it with my magic so that this world doesn't pull every bit of it from the damn thing. We have to leave tomorrow, I won't risk waiting any longer."

Hermione stilled, looking terrible serious. Harry almost flinched.

"I love these people, Harry. I love this world. Maybe even more than ours." She looked to the sky. "The stars are different, have you noticed? That's how I knew I was in a different world." She looked down again and into Harry's eyes. "But I want to go home. I want to hug my parents. I want to marry Ron. I want to see Ginny and Luna and Neville and… George… everyone. I want to see how big Teddy is. I want to have kids and send them to Hogwarts."

Harry braced for it because he could feel what was coming.

"But I can't just leave, Harry. They took care of me when I was lost and desperate. There's a war coming against a dark Lord that might actually be worse than Voldemort and he will turn this world into darkness if he can. I can't leave them in their greatest time of need. I need to see them survive this war or…"

"Can you really be of help without a wand…?" Harry whispered with something akin to grief. Elrond had briefly told him about the war and apologized for the rough welcoming so he had pretty good idea of what was going on outside the beautiful lands of Rivendell.

"You can leave me yours…"

"It won't work for you. I told you we've tried everything to get you back. This is the Elder Wand, Hermione. And you're crazy if you think I'll leave alone to fight a war."

"Harry…" Hermione eyed the wand warily for a few moments as if she expected it to do something terrible before finally continuing. "You have to go back. We can't do this to Ron and everyone else. They'll know you're in the same place I am if they try the patronus trick. And the world will just take us both for dead. We can't do this to them, Harry. How long will it be until they find a way to contact us? This will truly ruin everyone, Harry. You have to go back and tell everyone I'm safe."

"But you won't be safe, Hermione. I know you! You will do the exact same thing I'd do. You'll work out a way to control your magic even if just a little bit and you're going to be right in the middle of this war, saving lives and probably getting yourself killed. You're asking me to go home and send patronus until the day the stag tells me you're dead. I'll never forgive myself, Hermione. Ron won't forgive us both."

"I know, Harry. I know. But I can't just leave tomorrow. I…"

"Hermione, I think they'd understand…!"

"They would, Harry. I'm sure they would. But… I can't. It's not just Elves and Dwarves for me anymore, Harry. It's Elrond and Arwen and Glorfindel and – God, Harry! – there's these twins that are just like Fred and George. And Glóin and Bilbo. Oh the Hobbits, Harry. They're all so sweet and funny and crazy gluttons. And did you see that Wizard? There's only a handful of them and I just met Gandalf a few days ago but I feel like Dumbledore is back, watching over us while we undertake the quest of our lives. I know their names and their stories. I call too many them friends. I can't just leave as they go to war."

Harry dropped to the ground and sat down, leaning against the balcony. One of his hands tried to soften the frown on his forehead, with little success.

"Damn it. Damn it all. Bloody hell, we were supposed to have peace. We did what we set out to do and we saved England and probably the world. We earned that peace. I was so ready, Hermione. So ready to come here and go back home alone if you looked happy. And you do. So why does it have to happening all over again? How can I go home and tell everyone I've left you in a warzone?"

"I'm glad it's you here today because I think you're the only one who does understand." Hermione wrapped her arms around her friend and hugged him as if this was the last time she was looking at him.

Merry and Pippin had remained unusually quiet throughout the entire conversation and apart from small grins when Hermione had described their kind, they'd remained quite still in obvious awe of the Wizards. Now the two looked visibly uncomfortable as they silently made their way to the others, keen on repeating the entire thing to Sam and Frodo.


	5. Love

_I didn't plan for this, it just sort of happened as I wrote it. I felt like I had to dedicate a small chapter to him. The usual disclaimers apply. _

_F._

Harry was practically alone in Elrond's study, looking at one of the many old books. Gandalf was sitting in a corner doing a fantastic Dumbledore impression which meant Harry was doing his best not to show how much the knowing look of the Wizard infuriated him. They hadn't said a word since Elrond left and Harry had just finished reading a fascinating piece on the origins of Orcs when a blond elf appeared at the entrance.

"Glorfindel." Harry said softly, glad he didn't have to go looking for the elf himself.

"You remembered my name." he said quietly, his expression guarded.

"You're in love with Hermione." Harry stated without hesitation and took some silent pleasure in watching Gandalf almost swallow his pipe before excusing himself.

Glorfindel looked angry. Then confused. Worried. Angry again. He didn't say a word but that meant he didn't deny Harry's words either.

"I'm not reading your mind. I mean, I can do it but I won't without your permission. But it's been pretty obvious that you're her closest friend here and even though I find your kind hard to read, I can see the way you look at her. You almost burned a hole through my head when I hugged her and put my arms around her shoulders. I don't blame you, she's easy to love."

The Elf remained quiet, his stance almost defensive. He eyed Harry's wand once, probably wondering how the truly wizard felt about his feelings towards his best friend's betrothed. So while he didn't show it, Harry's words surprised the Elf more than he'd expected.

"Can she be happy here, Glorfindel? Is there any way that your people can keep her from harm?"

There was a long silence between them but eventually Glorfindel moved closer and sat in a chair opposite to Harry. For a moment he looked distraught but when he spoke he had composed a perfect mask of calmness.

"It is only from my part. She does not know. She is kind and friendly to all." He paused, looking through the window for a few moments before continuing. "The Elves see her as a gift. A powerful hero sent to us to help save our world in our darkest time. If she chooses to fight and I think she will, they will let her."

"You wouldn't."

"No. She is still very much the lost child I found in the woods with a broken leg. Desperate to fit in and prove herself in a world different from her own. If not bound by honor and I daresay affection, she would go home without hesitation. She will refuse and she will be miserable if you force her to go and leave us during this war. She told you so herself. And yet, I wish you would do exactly that."

"Are you going to tell her how you feel?"

"She loves another. That much is clear. She wears a ring made of twigs around her finger and looks at it when the twins playfully try to make her uncomfortable. I won't add to her burdens nor risk losing her friendship."

"She wouldn't stop being your friend." Harry said softly, touched by Hermione's open loyalty to Ron.

"I know. But it would be different."

Harry eyed the young-looking Elf that Hermione had told him was older than Dumbledore. It was hard to believe that he would live forever unless killed by anyone or gripped by grief. Grief… Harry wondered what would happen to the immortal if he were to take the one he loved away. Would he lose his immortality? Would he waste away because of Harry's actions? Or would he simply move on and forget about her?

"She can't control her magic, you know." Harry spoke again.

"She has improved much but I agree. Outside of Imladris, I fear that all her work will prove futile. Imladris is surrounded by the magic of the Elves. Outside its borders, she won't be able to do much at all. She will simply be a child of Man, trying to fight a war that is too big for her."

Harry sighed and remained silent for what felt like an hour, looking at his hands. Finally, he took his wand and placed it on the table. Glorfindel eyed the instrument warily.

"This is not my real wand. It's the wand from one of Hermione's stories. I think you've heard of it. It's powerful but capricious. It doesn't like to lose. It always seeks the strongest master. I had planned to lose this wand to Hermione in case she wished to remain here. It doesn't matter anymore. I can't leave such a powerful tool in a world with a dark lord running loose. I thought I'd pictured every possible scenario but I never imagined you'd be having a war, too."

"As we speak, Hermione is writing letters to all her friends and family." Harry continued, looking devastated. "Letters that she wants me to deliver. I can already see their faces when they find out she had one chance to return but didn't take it. You can imagine them, too, I'm sure. I thought about lying and telling everyone how time flows differently and I saw her as an old woman who's lived a full and rich life. But I know at least one person will ask me for my memories of all this. My options are truly few."

"But you've made a decision." Glorfindel said, noticing something different in Harry's expression.

"Yes." The young Wizard answered, smiling sadly. _The only one I can make._


	6. Council

_This was supposed to be the final chapter but I might add one more as an epilogue. The usual disclaimers apply. If you've come this far, I hope you've enjoyed it! _

_F._

Hermione was watching Harry through the corner of her eyes. Gandalf had insisted he stay until the end of the council so she was having trouble concentrating due to the imminent departure of her friend. She'd stayed up all night painfully writing the letters that Harry would take to her family and friends or sitting next to Harry on balconies and garden benches. Neither had slept and focusing on the council was proving to be more difficult than she'd anticipated. Elrond had just finished talking about the ring when Harry broke the uneasy silence and woke her up completely.

"That damn thing keeps trying to talk to me." He said quietly half-amused, half-annoyed. Hermione knew better than to ask about what the ring was trying to tempt him with but she did notice a few uneasy looks from those who were close enough to hear Harry's words and the Elves in general. Glorfindel looking both unconcerned and unsurprised.

"I think it's a Horcrux, Harry." She said softly.

"It feels like one." Harry agreed, glaring coldly at the Ring and Hermione suspected they were having a silent argument.

Harry didn't expect someone to openly wish to use the Ring in the war. It was pretty clear the vicious object was going to do everything in its power to return to its master, dooming as many wearers as possible along the way. The tightening of his hands betrayed the curt neutral glance he gave Boromir.

When most seemed to agree that the Ring had to be destroyed and a Dwarf tried to do it, Harry barely had time to raise a shield around the middle section before a piece of the broken blade almost pierced Hermione's head. A huge ball of transparent blue light now surrounded Gimli and the Ring, keeping leaves and pieces of the blade frozen in mid-air as if caught by invisible strings.

"Your shields have improved. And silent casting?" Hermione said more calmly than she felt while Harry reached for the blade that had stopped right in front of her eyes and picked it up before releasing the shield. He gave Gimli a dismissive wave when the Dwarf apologized profusely, wondering how many in the council could see how close Glorfindel was to throttling the Dwarf. Judging by the way the twin Elves suddenly struck a conversation with him, Harry could guess than his affections were common knowledge among the pointy-eared folk. He wondered briefly if they were writing up a ballad about it, too. Elrond merely eyed Harry's unused wand, a silent question in his gaze.

"Heavy." Harry said quietly before pulling out his wand. "Reparo."

As the blade of a priceless weapon (if the Dwarves' reactions were to be trusted) seemingly fixed itself right in front of their eyes, causing much uproar and even praise among the audience, Harry leaned back and waited for the festivities to continue. He was unusually aware of Gandalf's eyes on him and wished with all his heart the old wizard would look somewhere else. Harry had to force himself to holster his wand again before he did something silly which may or may not have been related to the fact that he was now picturing Gandalf's hair blue.

"For Heaven's sake, Harry. Really?" Hermione whispered and the young wizard had to look around to see where she was talking before snickering when he realized Gandalf's hair had indeed turned blue.

"Finite Incantatum." Harry said with a cheeky grin, shrugging his shoulders. "It's not entirely my fault, 'Mione. There's too much magic in the air." He decided not to mention the fact that he was naturally irritable towards wise old wizards that seemed to see right through him.

At last, a Fellowship was formed around the terrified looking Hobbit named Frodo and Harry had the sudden urge to hug the poor little thing. Why was it always the innocent that had to carry the heaviest burdens? Hermione probably felt the same way but she simply stood and explained briefly how much she'd come to care for this world and those in it. How she felt she had a debt and would do anything in her power to repay it. Elrond was gracious enough to tell her he held no debt over her head and that the Elves had been delighted to have her but Hermione quickly dismissed the weak attempt at an argument. Hermione couldn't leave knowing they wouldn't be safe or that the world might fall. She'd join the Fellowship. She'd made her decision.

And so had Harry.

"You might need this then." Harry said with a blank look, taking an object and giving it to the girl.

"My wand!" Hermione said excitedly, picking up the thin object so quickly she barely had time to notice that Harry had flinched when she'd first touched it. She sounded angry next. "Harry! This changes everything! I'm stronger now, I'll be fine. Why didn't you tell me you had it?"

"It's sealed, Hermione. It doesn't work."

"Then why did you…?" The silence was deafening around them. No one dared to interfere. Harry's magic had somehow become visible and it was like a blue mist curling protectively around the wizard. "Harry, what have you done?"

"We didn't just use your wand to make the portkey this time. The wand is the portkey." Harry's jaw tightened. "Getting you back home was always our priority. It activated at your touch."

Hermione's eyes widened in shock as the wand glowed with a faint blue pulsating light that with slowly increasing frequency.

"I can't drop it." Hermione said looking shocked and betrayed as she shook her hand vigorously. "How could you, Harry? You said you'd respect my decision as a friend. You know why we can't leave them. How _dare_ you?" She spit out the last question with so much venom that Harry actually closed his eyes as if the sight pained him. The blue magic flinched and a pale red mist now fluctuated around the witch as well.

"I said that I would leave you here if you were happy and safe. Ginny understood. Ron would, too. But you don't want to move to Middle-Earth, Hermione. You just don't want to leave them in a time of need. You told me wanted to go back to your parents, marry Ron, see Hogwarts again. They're all waiting for you. Your whole life is there and you can't afford to lose more years."

"It's not your choice, Harry. Undo this. Undo this now. We can't just leave them!" Hermione tried to reach for Harry but realized with a sinking feeling that she couldn't move from the spot. She looked at the ground in disbelief, at her brightly glowing wand and then finally looked up to meet Harry's bright green eyes. She finally understood. "You…"

"We're not leaving them, Hermione." Harry said with sad smile. "Like I told Elrond, our debt is too great. We can't let this place fall."

"You bastard, Harry. You're doing it again. What you always do." Hermione shouted, the red mist thickening around her. "This is not your responsibility!"

Harry's eyes closed before he opened them slowly, giving her that heartbreakingly sad smile again.

"No, 'Mione. It's ours. Your shift ended, mine's just starting. And they need a proper Wizard fighter or someone with a wand at the very least." He breathed out and the wand in his wand levitated towards the witch with surprising speed and stuck to her back, just out of the witch's reach. "And who knows? You're the smartest one of us all. You'll probably find an easier way to get back here. Keep the Elder Wand safe. It won't work properly for anyone but me but it will be best to keep it secret."

"Harry…" Hermione said urgently, looking more desperate than angry now.

"I think you shouldn't waste the time you have left."

Hermione looked around at last, eyes stopping briefly on Glorfindel, the twins and a few other Elves before focusing on Elrond. Her mouth opened but she was at loss for words. Elrond just smiled and nodded. She couldn't take it. She wasn't ready for this, she didn't know what to say.

"Harry." She turned to the wizard again, her voice almost a plea. _Don't do this._

"Tell Ginny it was number five, after all. She was right. Tell Ron he's a git. Now that your mental ages are closer, marry the idiot as soon as you can."

"I'll do something, Harry. I'll find a way. I'll bring you back." She obviously felt the pull of magic and didn't want to part angry, something that Harry was immensely glad for.

"I know, 'Mione." Harry said with a gentle smile. "Hurry up or I might just find a way back myself."

"I'm so sorry, Harry."

Harry just winked as Hermione was suddenly pulled into nothingness. The young wizard sat back down, crossed his arms and pulled yet another wooden object from his robes. His true wand.

"Expecto Patronum." He said quietly and the ghostly stag erupted from the tip and stood majestically in front of him. Some gasped, finally breaking the silence around him. Harry muttered a few words before raising his tone. "Hermione, I hope you made it." The stag blinked before sinking into the Earth and Harry smiled. With his head slightly lowered, the wizard's bright green eyes then returned to the Ring and those around it. He sat back on his chair and crossed his arms, looking unperturbed.

"I guess you're stuck with me, then."


	7. Fellowship

_One of those chapters that wasn't meant to exist. Just a small collection of things I knew had happened but didn't see their place in the story._

_The next one will be the final part, the epilogue. I'm afraid Glorfindel and Hermione will not be ending up together even though they do realize that there is something more than friendship to their relationship. Both of them._

_The usual disclaimers apply._

_F._

_.__  
__Harry was on the couch with his head leaning back as if he were staring at the ceiling through his eyelids, his arms crossed lazily under his head. The wizard's green eyes were closed but he opened them when he felt someone sit beside him. Harry watched in silence as a beautiful red-haired girl played with his messy hair gently, taming it and ruffling it in turns. Her eyes were bright and intense and Harry knew what she wanted to say but Ginny couldn't get the words out and Harry wouldn't force her. They both believed they'd be ready for this but now that the day of his departure was creeping up on them, both witch and wizard were simply afraid. Afraid that it had all been in vain. Afraid that Harry would fail to find Hermione. Afraid that Harry wouldn't return. _

_He pulled her closer and Ginny rested her head on his chest, sighing deeply. _

_"It will be fine." He said at last, perfectly aware that he had no way of telling how their plan would end. Ginny didn't contradict him… at first. Then she chuckled, a sad but resigned sound, grabbed one of his hands in a tight grip and shook her head in his chest._

_"Oh, Harry. It's you. Something unexpected is going to happen, we both know it."_

_"A lot can go wrong." Harry conceded lightly after a long pause, stroking her head gently with his free hand. "But nothing too unexpected can happen, I think. There aren't that many options."_

_"Five scenarios." Ginny said firmly as if she'd thought of it before. "If you get there. Wherever she is."_

_"Assuming that I can actually reach that place without dying." Harry continued in the same light tone and Ginny ignored him completely. "Or that a giant hippogriff doesn't kill me the moment I arrive?"_

_"Five scenarios." She repeated. "One: You get there and she's dead. The patronus kept trying to reach her body and failed."_

_Harry remained silent. It was a possibility. The worst case scenario, the thing he and Ron feared the most. Three years and a friend lost forever. None of them lingered on the thought for long but dread gripped them at night, when silence fell around them and their worst fears haunted their dreams._

_"Two: She's alive and you get her back." Ginny continued, not sounding particularly enthusiastic. "Yay."_

_"I like that one." Harry laughed quietly but like Ginny, he didn't think it would be that easy. Nothing ever was when it came to the Golden Trio, was it?_

_"Three: She's alive but she's in trouble. Fix it – whatever it takes – and bring her back." Ginny had sounded so fierce that Harry felt compelled to pull her chin up, meet her gaze and nod firmly._

_"Yes, ma'am." He said solemnly and he actually looked serious. Ginny knew he'd do anything to protect their friend and bring her back, whatever the cost. A lot of people were counting on it. Still, things weren't that simple sometimes. The world was rarely black and white and they often floated between shades of grey. "I like that one, too."_

_"Four: She's alive but she's in love with someone from wherever she is." Still meeting his gaze, Ginny looked challenging. "If they don't want to come here, you'll have to let her go. Can you?"_

_Harry hesitated but only a little. Hermione had been gone for nearly three years. If she was alive, it was possible Hermione had moved on, found someone and maybe even married. The thought had crossed his mind before and even Ron had acknowledged the possibility. _

_"If that happens, I'll stay long enough to make sure she's happy. Then I'll come back. Alone." _

_Ginny smiled sadly but look satisfied with his answer._

_"You know, Harry. The three of you… it was never straightforward, was it? Knowing you, the answer will be something more complicated." She paused and he locked his green gaze on her until she spoke again. _

_"Five: She's alive and really wants to come back but something is stopping her. The problem is too big and you can't fix it easily. Knowing you and your luck, it will be just that. You will send her back but you'll stay in her place." She sighed, closing her eyes again. "Sounds about right. Number Five."_

_Harry pretended not to notice her soft shudder but held the witch close to his chest. _

_"Maybe we'll be lucky this time. Technically, we've always been ridiculously lucky."_

_"Only after things have gone terribly wrong first." Ginny said with a sense of finality that left little room for further discussion. "Mark my words, Mr. Potter. She'll come back and you will stay behind. Number Five." _

_Harry didn't say anything. He could tell Ginny wasn't interested in continuing the matter at the moment. They'd have to discuss it eventually after both of them had considered the possibility fully but he wasn't feeling particular happy about that prospect. _

_._

_._

_._

_You were right, love.__  
_  
"I guess you're stuck with me, then." Harry broke the uneasy silence with a small smile, pretending not to notice how those around him stood or sat with their hands over their swords and bows. Aware that sending someone unwillingly into another world was hardly an action that bred trust and ease, their stillness was starting to concern him.

Gandalf cleared his throat before anyone else could speak.

"Ah, Harry. It seems you don't realize..." Harry frowned when he saw the Wizard's twinkling blue eyes filled with humor. "I'd very much like to move again if you don't mind."

Harry looked startled, suddenly realizing that if most of the others were unnaturally still it was apparently not by their own choice. Frodo and Glorfindel, strangely enough, seemed to be the only ones immune to the phenomenon and the two took a few tentative steps just to see if they could, looking equal parts surprised and pleased.

"Finite." Harry said, waving his hand with so little conviction it was obvious he didn't feel responsible for the spell. The fact that the majority of his spectators took sudden deep breaths and started to fidget on their spots was proof enough that magic – probably his magic - had been at fault. The Elves in particular gave him a strange look that seemed to be filled with both awe and the desire to see how many arrows Harry would be able dodge if they all drew on him at the same time. The fact that no one besides Gandalf actually dared to move just showed how much most them seemed to fear him.

"Bloody hell." Harry whispered. "My apologies, Lord Elrond. And, well… thank you all for your patience. I hope you aren't feeling too uncomfortable. I wish I could've sent Hermione away in private but that wouldn't be fair to some of you and I thought she deserved to give her final speech."

Harry sighed and stood, secretly wishing he could punch Gandalf's smug and unsurprised face right about now. Wise old men with twinkly bright eyes who spoke of the future in riddles tended to have that effect on him, he thought to himself. If he were to be truly honest, the sight of the old Wizard simply filled him with such a strong feeling of loss and longing that he could barely look at Gandalf straight in the eye. Not that he was ever going to admit that, of course.

The young wizard took one step towards the center and faced his audience with his head held proudly.

"For those of you who don't know me, my name is Harry Potter. I come for a very distant land and I'm a wizard. Not the kind of Wizard you are used to but a wizard nonetheless. I'm not usually this forceful or generally intimidating and I deeply apologize for using magic on you without warning. I assure you it was an accident. I'm not used to this place and its magic but I promise I will try to adjust quickly so that these accidents don't happen again." The young wizard bowed his head in apology, a humble sign that was somewhat diminished by the faint blue aura that was once again swirling around his body.

"Now, I seem to recall you were recruiting…? Due to my friend's sudden and unexpected departure, I feel obliged to offer my services." Harry lifted his head, his smile somewhat playful now.

"You're really coming, Harry?" Pippin ran to his side, eyes full of hope. Harry really liked the little hobbits and how trusting they were of him. He wondered if they showed no fear because he'd been introduced to them as Hermione's friend or because they loved the stories they'd heard from her mouth. Perhaps it was simply the glimpse of his soul that they'd seen the previous night and the fact they saw him as a younger, more relatable Gandalf. Whatever the cause, Harry was grateful for it so he only grinned when Pippin grabbed his wand arm and held it tightly. "Are you?" Merry quickly joined his inseparable friend and grabbed Harry's other arm, the same question in his eyes.

Despite the wary looks he was still receiving, the previous tension seemed to be dissipating - probably because it was quite difficult to feel threatened by a man with two hobbits dangling from his arms.

Gandalf chuckled warmly and eyed the Fellowship with that insufferable twinkle in his eyes, as if he knew exactly how the future events would play out. Harry simply smiled at the little hobbits, ignored the fact that Aragorn was still cautiously caressing the hilt of his sword and faced Elrond.

"I am at your servisse." He said seriously.

The Elf spoke of numbers and their meaning. Gandalf joined in and spoke of the Fellowship that had formed around the little Hobbit Frodo and their importance in the coming war. Nine would oppose the nine Black Riders of Sauron. And just like the other side had Saruman, a Wizard gone dark fighting in the sidelines, so would the Fellowship have their own protector. One that would not travel directly with Fellowship but a little ahead or behind, watching over them from the shadows.

Harry assured them he'd do whatever they felt was right, which seemed to ease the worries of many of the Elves, Men and Dwarves present. Gandalf looked annoyingly pleased and Harry assumed he was quite happy with the last minute switch. He, too, had heard of the stories Hermione had shared with the Elves and while he would have settled with thethe gente wandless witch, Harry was the Savior he wanted all along for this particular journey.

All the pieces were in place, only the smaller details were left to be discussed.

Foul whispers travelled to Harry's ears and the wizard had to suppress a wince at some of what he was forced to hear. He dare not test Fiendfyre inside of Rivendell but the thought tempted the wizard. Dark and despairing words sought to disturb him but the edge of urgency and even fear was unmistakable. The Ring was tied to a young hobbit who resisted its effects better than most and the wizard's presence frightened it. It was growing desperate and all the more dangerous for it.

"Stop talking. Soon, I will see you burn." Harry told the innocent-looking ring with a smile that held none of its usual warmth. There were many wary looks once again.


End file.
